The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-03-17
NIARY'S SAD FATE.
Th" Distressing Story of IA Little Girl In II
Mormon Family.

Mormon Family.
. JEKlCuO VALLEY, Utah, March g.
Sixteen years ago Samuel Bates, Nor.
t mon, then the possessOr of two wives,
Ann and Jane, the latter being childless,
took Mary Lee, an orphan, to bring up
according to the rites of the Church OF
the Latter Day Saints AS Ann had
many children to comfort her the babe
/ was placed in charge Of Jane, devout
, Mormon, herself born in the faith.
Mary Lees parents were from England.
Her mother was delicate little woman,
remembered by many hero as fearful
and unhappy person. Times were hard
with them when they first appeared here,
and they grew harder for some reason.
Just as her husband was about to take q
second wife, evidently against the wishes
Of the companion of his youth, he was
Killed III II snow slide, and three months
after that his widow died, some said of 8
broken heart, leaving little Mary alone
III the world. Samuel Bates was some
thlng Of man among the Mormons
Tic was called Brother Bates. n is first
wife was hard, coarse woman, but
Jane, to whom the little orphan went,
was tender, rather good looking, and
TILED with II stern and unbcndinE faith
III the divinity of her religion, and a de-
termination to 'livo" it to the cnd. The
child which thus fell to her partook of
her dead mothers disposition. As she
grew to womanhOOd she became fair to
Il degree not often seen in these parts,
but III spirit she was gloomy, sad and
rctlcont. Surrounded by MOrmons and
taught by the pious Jane, she became
almost fanatic on the subject of re-
llgion herself, and readily accepted all
tlAIt I'll Lad, ,.,I l.
inspiration of the Lord.
y year or two ago Mary Lee became
acquainted with young man living in O
mining camp not far from here, a Gen
tile, of course, as no Mormon delvos for
gold and silver. The youth, Seth Bent
ly by name, rarely lost an oppol tunity
to pay the girl little attentions, and at
length II became the rumor that Lc was
| "cr accepted lover. She would stroll
away to the foot hills to meet him, of
evenings they would ho seen by the
mountain brook which winds through
the town, and On Sunday afternoons,
| particularly whcu Brother Bates was
away from home, thCy would 10 riding
or Walking together Jane made no op-
position TO the intimacy, but when
brother BatCS'S attention was called TO
the matter, he felt that it was his duty
to Interfere. Little BY little James mind
was won over to his way of thinking,
though ut first she had been uususpect-
ing. Brntiy was forbidden the house.
and the girl was told that she must
mover meet him again. But they met
after this, not as Il result Of Mary S dis
, Obedience, but by reason OF Bcutly's
/ pcralstcncc. lie found her one & ~ last
summer down 10y the brook, nnI when
| ~ a Il I,t,,
T. her, and holding her closely nc told Gel
t OF his affection tor hcr uDd cntrcatcd he,
, to become his wife, and in ret,tIn re-
cclVcd some encouragement. From that
tlnlo on they met occasionally, unknown
to brother Bates or Jane.
In September Brother BatGs went to
New Mexico on an cNhortntion tour, and
when he returned in October he brought
back with him q Mormon elder named
Crafty, who, seeing Mary Lee, be-
thought hlm that he would like to take
another wife, his fifth, and ho accord
| In8ly DrOnchcd the subject to her on the
second day after his arrival. The girl
rcpcllcd hnm with horror, but he pressed
hls suit, and at length brought brother
Bates to his assistance. At first Jane
opposed the proposition. She was q
sincere Mormon, but her affection for
her foster child got the better of her
faith lUr II time, and until she could be
placNtcd Elder Crafty had to hang his
| harp OF the willow. The means rosOrtcd
| To 10 BRING JnnO to sec the error Of her
ways are familiar to all who have had
mtt rc"urSo with the strange people who
lnhuht these valleys. Brother Bates
had vision. Then Elder Crafty had a
vision. Then bishop who was passing
through Jericho Valley had II vision.
Ihcn the Sunday school superintendent,
the Sunday school teachers, aud the
local elders and missionaries had visions.
| by II singular cohcC !Sus Of opinion all
had seen the same thing. Mary Lee was
Gods choice for Elder Cratty's wife.
stu the girl, now most Of the tirno in
tears, like her unhappy mother, dead
sixteen years, shranS from the pIOllur Of
the visitor, and her foster mother, the
kindly but Supcrstitious Jane, still de-
INJURED, though growing weaker and
weaker in her opposition.
The visions failing Of the desired
| effect, Elder Crafty and Brother Bates
went up INTO the mountains some time
last month, and, fasting for fourteen
days and nights, they wrestlcd with the
Lord, and at the end Of their vigil thoy
~ NN'' '''N'N'' - ''''Iiib u Blli.J llRllI
and hearing voice from heaven saying
tmut Elder Crafty should take Mary Leo
to be his wife, and that further delay
wouId be both unsccmly and displcasimg
TO the Lord. With this revelation and
the further assurance that spirit had
appeared unto Crafty in vision saving
that If Mary Ice would marry him she
wOuld receive the requisite affection for
her husband by praying for it in the
temple, the two wcndcd their way home
ward and communicated to Jane the re-
suit of their prayers and fastings. In
the lnro OF such uudoubtcd evidence of
the l,oris approval that good woman
could say II" more, and taking the girl
to one side she advised her to give up
her GENTLE lover and cling to the hus-
band selected for her by God, who had
promised his servants that if she did not
love INN now the spirit would confor
great and surprising affection upon her
at her nuptials.
Mary Lees own faith was strong. and